


A Dance for You

by MandalorianDragonTrainer



Series: Pepperony Week 2018 [3]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Jealousy, protective!tony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-13
Updated: 2018-09-13
Packaged: 2019-07-11 21:47:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15981176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MandalorianDragonTrainer/pseuds/MandalorianDragonTrainer
Summary: Sometimes it's rough when your girl's CEO.





	A Dance for You

**Author's Note:**

> Previously posted on Tumblr for #PepperonyWeek18.

For someone with a reputation as a party boy, Tony sure hated these formal galas. That hadn’t always been the case, of course, but it certainly was now that it meant he had to watch Pepper dance with forty other men.

“They’re stockholders, Tony. I’m CEO, it’d be extremely rude to turn them down,” she had explained beforehand to her grumbling fiancé.

“Well, I think it’s rude of them to assume you owe them anything,” Tony snorted, arms crossed.

Pepper had just laughed. “I think someone’s a touch jealous.”

“Am not.”

Despite his protests, Pepper was right. Tony stood rigidly, tensely sipping a disappointingly flat glass of champagne, watching yet another crusty old man dance with his beautiful fiancée, a vision in her floor-length black gown. He wanted to slap the disgusting smile off the old coot’s face.

Mercifully, the dance ended and Pepper returned to his side.

“If you grip that thing any harder, you’re gonna shatter it,” Pepper tapped the rim of Tony’s glass. “You can relax now… I think that was the last one.”

Tony’s shoulders sagged in relief. “You save a dance for me?”

“Miss Potts?” A new voice spoke up before she could answer. Tony snapped his head up to see a dark-haired man with a clear tan face and ridiculously white smile. “I’m—“

“Ryan Waters, yes, of course, I remember you from the summit in Victoria.”

“Yes, how could anyone forget that weekend? You lit up the entire room,” the man teased, setting off all of Tony’s radars.

Pepper’s cheeks reddened slightly. “I thought you had canceled your RSVP?”

“Change of plans,” the preposterously handsome man briefly brought Pepper’s hand to his lips. Tony’s stomach lurched. The nerve of this guy!

Conveniently for Waters, the orchestra picked that exact moment to start up a new song. A slow, romantic one at that.

Perfect.

“May I have this dance, Miss Potts?” Waters requested with a charming grin. Tony wrestled with the urge to snatch Pepper back thirty feet from the guy.

“Of course, Ryan,” Pepper nodded, allowing him to guide her onto the ballroom floor.

Tony turned to the bartender. “Hit me with a double.”

“You look lovely this evening, Miss Potts,” Ryan gushed, savoring every second of the dance.

Pepper smiled politely. “Thank you.” She glanced back at Tony, who was watching them anxiously, ready to charge if Ryan made one wrong move. She shook her head.

“What do you say I get you something to drink after this?” He offered in a syrupy voice. “I know a nice little place across town….”

“I-I appreciate the offer, Ryan, but in case you’ve forgotten, I’m engaged.”

“Yes, I know, I can see the diamond. It’s nothing, really. Just a harmless drink between friends?”

Pepper stared at him suspiciously as the song came to an end. “I’m sorry, Ryan. It’s a no.” She pulled away and returned to Tony, leaving an immature Ryan Waters to storm out in anger.

“What was that all about?” Tony’s eyes followed Ryan, not at all sorry to see him go.

“Forget about it…” she leaned forward and kissed Tony. “You’ve got nothing to be jealous about, honey. And….” she added with a playful smirk, wrapping her arms around Tony’s waist. “I believe you owe me a dance.”

Tony couldn’t be happier to comply.


End file.
